lengel



May 29, 1928. 1 ,671,592

YARN CHANGE ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING mdlnuss Filed Nov. 12-. 1921 z'sueotp-snaet l W.L.LENGEL K" May 29, 1928. 1 1,571,597

' I w. L. LENGEL nan CHANGE 'ATIIAGHMENT FOR cmcumn KNITTiNG mamas.

Filed Ndv. 12.; 19.21 -zgn'eptg hey 2:

awmlom Patented May 29, 1928.

UNHTE WILLIAM L. LENGEL, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NOLDE &

HORST 00., OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

YARN-CHANGE ATTAGHMENT FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING- MACHINES.

Application filed November 12, 1921.

My invention relates to circular knitting machines having a yarn change mechanism, and my object is to provide yarn-clamping means that will firmly grip and hold, without interference, the several yarn ends when intermittently cut off and withdrawn from the knitting action, and which will positively deliver to the needles for resumption of knitting any of said held yarn ends without freeing unintentionally any other held end;

my improvements including a special yarnend holder device for each of the usual yarnguides, cooperatively actuated with the latter, and adapted to grasp a withdrawn yarn end, and to move with the corresponding guide to positively deliver its yarn to the needles for resumption of knitting. lhe invention is fully described in connection with the. accompanying drawings and the novel features are pointed out in the subjoined claims.

Fig. 1 is a. plan view of a portion of a knitting machine having my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 shows an elevation of material in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial inner view of the developed latch ring showing the cooperative relation of my yarn-end holder with the yarn guide and cutter device, and Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing different operative positions of the yarn-guide and my cooperatively actuated yarn-end holder device.

The drawings indicate a common type of knitting machine and only such parts are shown as are necessary to fully explain my invention. The yarn change mechanism is old and employs as usual a number of yarn guides 55,- 5. 5, 5 for the several yarns. which are pivotally mounted with their eyeleted ends 6. 6, 6, 6 adapted to be swung by their respective springs 7 into the throat 8 of the latch ring 9, in yarn feeding position adjacent the needles 10; or the guides may be swung into non yarn feeding position by their respective levers 11 each operated in the usual manner from the pattern mechanism by a rod or wire 12. all of which is well known and requires no further explanation of its operation. The onlv departure shown in the drawings from the standard parts heretofore employed in the above de- Serial No. 514,509.

scribed well known mechanism are, the slight modification in the sha e of the yarn guides and the re-location 0 their fixed pivotal support 15 so as to cause said guides to swing in an are substantially tangential to the circular series of needles instead of through the latter as heretofore; and the addition of a pivoted arm 16 on each of the usual levers 11. The springs 17 on the rods 12 are merely supplemental to springs 77, and are not essential.

The necessity of holding the cut ends of the several yarns until their reengagement in the knit fabric has heretofore been recognized, but the means commonly employed have not been satisfactory or positive, interference of the yarns and the unintentional pulling free of an additional yarn with the one intended causing imperfect and defective knitting; besides the common location of the holding means in the space within the circular series of the needles interferes with or prevents the addition of other attachments to the machine limiting its usefulness. My invention relates to improved holder devices adapted to positively grasp and retain each yarn free of the others and positively deliver the same to the needles, and my devices are located normally entirely outside the circle of needles. As stated heretofore I employ a yarn-end holder device for each yarn guide, all identical in construction and operation. so that in the following description it will be necessary only to describe one holder device and its operation in order to make clear my invention. 1

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5, 6, and 7 in which my yarn-end holder device is shown in detail on a large scale, 20 represents a spring-retracted, swinging arm pivotally supported at one end on a fixed shaft 21. and carrying at its free end a yarngripping member 23 intermediately pi oted thereto at 24. the forward end of said member having a downwardly bent portion 25 forming one part of a yarn clamping jaw, and the cooperating jaw-part 26 being part of a member-carried slide-bar 27 normally moved to jaw-closing position by a spring shaft 31, such engagement combined with the pivotal movement of arm determining the arc of swing of the clamping jaws 26.

The opening movement of sad jaws 2526, acting against the closing action of spring 28, is provided for, as shown, by a plate pivotally carried from the free end of an actuating arm 36 mounted on pivot shaft 37, said plate having a slotted aperture 38 engaging a stud 39 on slide bar 27, and a spring 40 acting on said plate. 1s adapted to engage therecessed portion 38 of said slot 38 with the stud 39, as clearly seen in Fig. 6, upon the forward movementof the jaw-carrying member 23 and its swinging arm 20, the latter also actuatlng arm 36 through stud 41 and slotted aperture 42 therefor in the respective arms, to co.- operatively move plate 35. The reverse movement of arm 20, retracting member 23,

also causes plate 35 through ts actuating arm 36, to retract slide bar 27 due to said engagement of the stud 39 and slot recess 38", as clearly seen in Fig. 7. The freeing movement of said stud engagement in recess 38 is provided for as shown in'dotted lines Fig. 7, by a projection 5 on yarn ide 5 adapted to contact with and lift t e freeend of arm 35, the stud 39 then having limited movement in the slot 38 permitting the slide bar 27 to close the jaws 2526 upon the yarn which has been carried between them upon the upward swin of the guide theapa i'ts assuming the starting position of Fig. 6. Swinging movement is im arted to arm 20 by arm 16 pivotally carrie by lever 11 and normally bearing against said arm 20 tomove the latter when lever 11 is rocked to free guide 5 to the lowering action of its spring 7, spring 17 aidin this movement; and the arm 16 is pivotalfy attern co'ntrolled bar 49, to free the swing- 6 mg arm 20 to the retractive movement of its spring 20.

The cutting device, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 3, is formed in a bracket carriedon the latch ring 9 and havin a plate 51 depending into said ring su stantially coincident, as indicated, withthe usual knitting wave of the needles 10, said plate having an aperture provided with a fixed cutter blade 52 and a movable blade 53, the latter being provided with an actuating arm 54 intermittently operated by a pattern controlled lever 55. When it is desired to withdraw a yarn from the knitting action, its guide 5 is elevated as usual, such movement carrying its yarn under the plate 51 between the cutter blades 52, 53 which operate to sever the yarn, such upward movement of the guide a 5 as previously stated, carrying the yarn into the open jaws 2526 of my holder device which close upon the same and firmly rasp the cut end as previously described.

The operation of my. device is as follows:

swung, as by a.

Assuming thatthe yarn guide 5 is in raised non yarn feeding position, my cooperatively actuated holder device will assume the position indicated in Fig. 5 with the jaws 2526 firmly grasping the cut 011' end of the yarn extending beyond the eyelet 6 of said guide. When it is desired to resume knitting with this withdrawn yarn, the rod 12 i's'ac'tuated in the usual manner by the pattern mechanism to rock lever 11 and permit spring 7 to lower guide 5 to yarn feeding position in the throat 8 of the latch ring 9 as common in yarn change knitting machines, such rocking movement of lever 11, through its pivoted arm 16, swinging arm 20 and its pivotally carried member 23 to position the jaws 2526 just inside the circular series of needles, as clearly seen in Fig. 6, the yarn end extending from said jaws through the needles to the guide eye 6, and the jaws maintaining their grip upon the yarn until the needles positively engage and forcibly.

withdraw it, absolutely insuring its proper reentry into the knitted fabric. After the yarn has been forcibly withdrawn from the jaws 2526 the latter are retracted by action of pattern cont-rplled'bar 49 tilting arm 16 and freeing swinging arm 20 to the retractive movement of its spring 20, such movement, as stated opening the jaws through the engagement of stud 39 in slot recess 38,

tween them by the rising guide, and the cutter device is operated to sever the yarn extending from the last needle engaged thereby to the-raised guide, the yarn in such position lying between the cutter blades 5253 as heretofore described.

It will of course be understood, as heretofore stated that in connection with each yarn guide 5 there is provided a yarn-end i 'machine having the usual yarn change mech anism, the application requiring no change in the usual knitting or yarn changing mechanism with which it cooperates. The nor mal location of my holding devices being entirely outside the circular series of needles it leaves free the space within the same for other desirable attachments heretofore impossible in machines havin a yarn change mechanism, and the indivi ual gripping of each yarn prevents any possible interference of the several yarns employed, while the carrying of the yarn'end to the needles to reenter the same into the knitting action and the maintaining grip thereon until forcibly Withdrawn by the needle engagement absolutely prevents any failure of the yarn reentry when desired. -Modifications Within the spirit of my invention will readily suggest themselves and I do not desire to limit myself to the specific construction shown and described.

What I claim is a 1. In a circular knitting machine compris- I ing a rotary needle cylinder, a yarnecutter device, a yarn-guide movable into and out of feeding relation to said needles, and a pattern-controlled actuating lever for said guide, a separately movable cooperative yarn-end holder for said guide, a lever-carried 'arm engageable with said holder to simultaneously move said guide and holder in a yarn-feeding direction, and means to disengage said arm and free said holder for independent reverse yarn-receiving movement.

2. In a. circular knitting machine comprising a rotary needle cylinder, a yarn-cutter device, a yarn-guide movable into and out w free said holder for independent reverse yarn-receiving movement and simultaneous operation of said jawopening mechanism,

and guide. carried means effective during movement to non-feeding position .to actuate said jaw closing mechanism.

3. In a circular knitting machine comprising a rotary needle cylinder, a yarn-cutter devlce, a yarn-guide movable into and out of feeding relation tosaid needles, and a pattern-controlled actuating lever for said guide; a swinging arm above said guide pivotally carrying a yarn-end holder having normally closed clamping jaws, a lever-carried arm engageable with said swinging ar'm Y to simultaneously move the latter and its pivotally carried closed jaws with said guide in one movement of the latter, means to dis-' engage said lever-carried arm and free said swinging arm for independent reverse move- ,ment with its pivoted jaws, jaw-openingmeans actuated by said reverse movement, and jaw-closing means actuated by subsequent independent movement of said guide.

4:. In a circular knitting machine comprising a rotary needle cylinder, a yarn-cutter device, a yarn-guide movable into and out of feeding relation to said needles, and a pattern-controlled actuating lever for said closing means actuated by subsequent independent movement of said guide.

5. In a circularknitting machine comprising a rotary needle cylinder, a yarn-cutter device, a yarn-guide movable into and out of feeding relation 'to said needles, and a pattern-controlled actuating lever for said guide; a swinging arm above said guide pivotally carrying a yarn-end holder having normally closed clamping jaws, jaw opening and closing mechanism, a lever-carried arm engageable with saidswinging arm to simultaneously move the latter and its pivotally carried closed jaws with said guide in one movement of the latter, means to dis engage said lever-carried arm and free said swinging arm for independent reverse movement with its pivoted jaws, a jaw-opening lever actuated by ,said reverse arm movement, and a guide carried trip adapted to effect a. jaw closing movement.

6. Ina circular knitting machine cqmpris ing arotary needle cylinder, a yarn-cutting device, a plurality of yarn guides separately movable into and out of feeding relation to said needles, and a corresponding series of pattern-controlled actuating levers for said guides; a yarn-end holder mechanism for each of said guides movable with its respec- I tive guide'into yarn delivering position, and independently reversely movable into yarnreceiving position, a series of lever-carried v WILLIAM L. LENGEL. 

